Visa Articles

Applying for and renewing visas in Thailand is a regular occurrence for businesspeople, expats, and travelers. This category includes guides on visas for tourism, work, education, marriage, retirement, diplomacy, business, investment, and more.

Articles

An Expat’s Guide to Business and Work Visas in Thailand-When it comes to getting the right visa to work or do business in Thailand, you’ll often hear expats talk about “business visas” and “work visas.” It could be confusing, especially for new expats who are just going through the process. So which visa will you really need when coming to Thailand for work or […]

How to Do Your 90-Day Reporting at Samut Prakan Immigration-I’m always worried whenever I have to do something for the first time in Thailand, especially if it involves immigration. Nothing is ever the same across the board. Things change depending on which officer you talk to and on which day you see them.We created this article through the generous support of our readers. If […]

A Short and Simple Guide to Thailand Retirement Visas-Have you been thinking about retiring in Thailand? Wondering what the requirements are to get a long term visa? In this post you’ll find out what financial requirements you need to meet, and which documents you need to present, to qualify for a Thailand retirement visa. What is it? The Thai retirement visa, or the […]

Thailand Education Visas: Where and What You Could Study in Thailand-The Thai education visa. It’s not just for learning Thai. Despite popular belief, you can come to Thailand to study a wide array of subjects at many different places throughout the country. But the place and subject must be recognized by Thailand’s Ministry of Education. So if you have your sights set on studying languages, […]

Want a Work Permit in Thailand? Here’s How to Do It-Have a job lined up in Thailand? Then you’re going to need a work permit. This lets you legally work in the country, and you won’t have to worry about being blacklisted or deported.We created this article through the generous support of our readers. If you find this article helpful, please support us on Patreon. […]

Thailand Re-entry Permits: How NOT to Lose Your Thailand Visa-Are you a long-term visa holder who’s planning on leaving Thailand and needs a re-entry permit? Maybe you’re sitting in the taxi right now heading to the airport. Or worse yet, maybe you’re at the airport scrambling for help. Relax. We have you covered. If you have at least forty-five minutes to spare before you […]

Thailand Tourist Visas: Requirements, Extensions, Costs, and More!-If you’re planning your trip to Thailand and trying to figure out which Thailand tourist visa you’ll need, then you’ve landed on the right page. In this guide you’ll find out which tourist visa is right for you, the requirements for getting a tourist visa, how to apply for and extend your tourist visa, and […]

How to Get a Residence Certificate in Thailand-There I was, crammed in the same tiny photocopying room for the second time in just ten minutes. The young kid working behind the copier recognized me, reached out his hand, and again I handed him my passport. “These two pages this time,” I said. And he copied what I hoped would be the last […]

Thailand’s New 4-Year SMART Visa–Find Out if You Qualify-Thailand Board of Investment announced that the new SMART Visa Program will begin February 1, 2018 in Thailand. The SMART Visa, which is open to foreign experts and investors, will let foreigners stay in Thailand for up to four years, while only having to check-in once a year. So, what exactly is the SMART Visa, […]

AMA With Pongkarn Khunpasee: Visas, Work Permits, and More-If you missed our Thailand Starter Kit Facebook Community group’s inaugural 2018 AMA—or Ask Me Anything—no worries. We have you covered. After each of our AMAs, we’re going to recap the questions and answers and post them on our website. If you’d like to join the next AMA, there are a few ways to get […]

Study Abroad in Thailand: Universities, Programs, Visas, and Costs-Choosing a university can be one of the hardest decisions that you’ll ever have to make, especially since this is directly tied to your life and career goals. Oblivious to this fact, I found myself studying in the de facto state of Northern Cyprus a few years ago, in desperate need of a way out.We […]

Thai Marriage Visas: Apply for and Renew Your One-Year Visa-I stepped out onto the slushy streets of New York City. The wind ripped through my bones. Warm air billowed from my mouth like the steam twisting and rolling out of the metal stacks on East 52nd Street. Behind me, the Thai Consulate building. In front of me, a world of wonder. As far as […]

An In-Depth Guide to Thailand Visas: Applications, Requirements, and Extensions-Foreigners visit Thailand for different reasons. Certain visits require a Thai Visa, while some don’t. If you intend to stay long-term, this in-depth guide contains a comprehensive guideline, a list of useful resources, and up-to-date procedures for Thai Visa application services. You can visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand website for general visa information.

Service Providers

Visa Services
An immigration lawyer based in Bangkok. She is specialized in visa, work permit, and incorporation issues.

Questions?

If you have any specific questions about visas in Thailand, ask here and someone from our team will usually reply within a couple days.

Are you a long-term visa holder who’s planning on leaving Thailand and needs a re-entry permit? Maybe you’re sitting in the taxi right now heading to the airport. Or worse yet, maybe you’re at the airport scrambling for help. Relax. We have you covered. If you have at least forty-five minutes to spare before you […]

If you’re planning your trip to Thailand and trying to figure out which Thailand tourist visa you’ll need, then you’ve landed on the right page. In this guide you’ll find out which tourist visa is right for you, the requirements for getting a tourist visa, how to apply for and extend your tourist visa, and […]

There I was, crammed in the same tiny photocopying room for the second time in just ten minutes. The young kid working behind the copier recognized me, reached out his hand, and again I handed him my passport. “These two pages this time,” I said. And he copied what I hoped would be the last […]

Thailand Board of Investment announced that the new SMART Visa Program will begin February 1, 2018 in Thailand. The SMART Visa, which is open to foreign experts and investors, will let foreigners stay in Thailand for up to four years, while only having to check-in once a year. So, what exactly is the SMART Visa, […]

If you missed our Thailand Starter Kit Facebook Community group’s inaugural 2018 AMA—or Ask Me Anything—no worries. We have you covered. After each of our AMAs, we’re going to recap the questions and answers and post them on our website. If you’d like to join the next AMA, there are a few ways to get […]

Recommended Services

We receive a lot of e-mails asking for recommendations for products, services, and companies. We can't answer all of them individually, so we’ve put together a list of the most important ones below.

You can also check out Thailand Starter Kit for a complete solution to help you get setup as an expat in Thailand.

Moving

Moving companies: If you’re looking to move your belongings into or out of Thailand, use this form and get free quotes directly from moving companies.

Renting

Agent: I’ve met a ton of real estate agents in Bangkok over the years, and most haven't really lived up to my expectations. If you want to avoid the trial-and-error of finding a qualified agent, you can use this form to get in touch with an agent who receives consistently great feedback.

It’s a quick way to find a place to live and completely free for you.

Health

Hospital: You can visit Bangkok Hospital in Thailand for any treatment you need. They have experienced specialists and use advanced medical technology to treat all ailments. Bangkok Hospital is especially good at treating heart disease, cancer, and bone and joint issues, and has an excellent baby delivery ward.

Health Checkups: Bumrungrad is considered one of the best private hospitals for health checkups because of the quality of healthcare they provide. The hospital is known for diagnosing illnesses that other hospitals missed or misdiagnosed. Bumrungrad also comes highly recommended by US and German doctor friends of Thailand Starter Kit.

Health Insurance

Karsten, the founder of Thailand Starter Kit, uses the French insurance company ACS. They pay with no deductible for all inpatient and outpatient treatment. With a coverage limit of $500,000, their Silver Plan is one of the few plans in Asia with sufficient coverage.

Xendpay is among the cheapest ways to send money to Thailand. The fees are some of the lowest, saving you about 1,500 baht on a 30,000 baht transfer. They’re also a cheap way to send money to other countries as well.

Travel

Flights and Hotels: Expedia offers good deals when it comes to flights and hotels. This is mostly due to them having lots of special promotions in the Thai market. You can easily save hundreds of dollars using Expedia.

Travel Insurance: If you want to travel to Thailand with peace of mind, then get travel insurance with World Nomads. It’ll costs less than $10 a day but come with a $300,000 limit on emergency evacuation and repatriation.

Car Rental: Renting a car is a great way to explore Thailand, especially when your destination is outside of Bangkok. You can do easily rent a car with HappyCar. The rate you get from them can even be cheaper than renting directly from a rental company.

Learning Thai

Thaipod101 is a great way to learn Thai online, no matter where you are in the world. They have a full list of audio and video lessons to help you quickly get started in speaking Thai.

Lawyer

Legal: Finding an ethical, professional, and affordable lawyer is super hard. Fill out this form and we will put you in touch with someone that meets all three criteria.

Business & Corporate

Registering a Company: Feel free to contact us with questions if you need help with registering a company. We’ll assist you based on our experience with running a company in Thailand for over a decade.

Accounting: Banchee Legal House can help your company with accounting, taxes, payroll, and social security at rates you can afford. They are your one-stop, easy-to-talk-to accountants in Thailand.

Office Space: It’s quick, easy, and affordable to use a serviced office for your business. Two reputable companies in the market are Regus and Spaces.

Digital and Content Marketing: My current and prior companies did exceptionally well thanks to an excellent digital marketing team that I had build up. My former marketing manager now went ahead and started an agency to provide that service to other companies. You can get in touch with her here.

Need help with something else for your business? Feel free to get in touch.

Disclaimer

This website includes links to partner companies. I receive a financial compensation from people clicking on them. This happens at no cost to you and helps me cover some of the expenses of running this website.